Sustainable Economy at Rebuild the Dream Village

posted by Lana N. | 3pt
April 25, 2013

[caption id="attachment_6234" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Sweet Beginnings offers a second chance for formerly-incarcerated citizens to find jobs in the green economy."][/caption]
What do bees, computer code, and factories have in common?
They are all tools used by our sustainable economy partners to create a shareable, collaborative and local economy. At the Rebuild the Dream Village at Welcome 2 Chicago, we will be featuring these organizations using innovative growth models to create a new economy from the community up.
Code for America is a "Peace Corps for Geeks." Code for America connects developers and designers with city governments to change the way cities work through technology and public service. Volunteers from the Code for America Brigade in Chicago will be demonstrating the Open311 service.
Sweet Beginnings creates two things: all-natural honey products and second chances. Sweet Beginnings extracts their honey from urban beehives in Chicago and provides transitional job opportunities in the green economy to formerly-incarcerated citizens.
New Era Windows is a new worker-owned cooperative company that made national headlines in 2008 after responding to a shutdown of then-Republic Windows and Doors by occupying it.
Seaway Bank is a bank founded to counter discriminatory lending practices in Chicago's southside with a commitment to the community that continues to the present day.
Center for Neighborhood Technology promotes urban sustainability to create solutions for transportation and community development, energy, water, and climate change.